Wise Traditions

Looking to improve your health? Live life to the fullest? The key to good health is found in nutrient-dense, nourishing food, not in processed, food-like products. Host and health coach Hilda Labrada Gore conducts down-to-earth interviews with leading health and wellness experts (scientists, doctors, farmers, physical therapists, and more) to uncover practical tips from the past for optimal health today. This podcast is brought to you by the Weston A. Price Foundation, committed to wise traditions in food, farming, and the healing arts.

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Over 15 years ago, physician Terry Wahls was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis. Being a doctor, she dove into the scientific literature looking for a cure to this progressive disease. Though she got the best conventional medicine had to offer, her health declined to such a degree that three years later even a strong breeze could cause her sensitive body pain.

After much research, she came to the conclusion that, rather than taking supplements, she should identify the foods where the nutrients could be found. It wasn’t long before real food had turned her health around. Now, she is an author and researcher that advocates the power of real food in recovery from multiple sclerosis and a host of other conditions—including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, auto-immune conditions, scleroderma, mental health concerns, neurological disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar issues, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s, and even primary care problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

“Our cells are starved for the building blocks we need,” she says. She is convinced that real food is the answer to improve our health and give our bodies a chance to detox and thrive.

What can we do to help those in food deserts? How can we address food insecurity and inequality? Pam Hess, the Executive director of Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, discusses what we can do as individuals and organizations to make whole, real foods available in cities and rural areas where choices are limited.

She discusses the mission of Arcadia: growing food and farmers, creating demand, and making fresh food accessible to low-income families. Their mobile market service brings fruits, vegetables, eggs, and grass-fed meats to under-served communities. By accepting food stamps and providing vouchers, Arcadia gives people the opportunity to nourish themselves well for improved health and a more positive future. Their model is holistic and replicable. You will be inspired to help reduce barriers to healthy food and to work for food justice.

Why is fast food cheap while real, organic food is so expensive? Why are there “food deserts” not only in cities, but in rural areas around the country? How did the invention of the automobile and the grocery cart affect our food-buying habits? Pam Hess, the Executive Director of Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, explains our broken food system and how it has set the stage for our current health crisis.

All of us should have the choice to purchase nutritious real food where we live, but many cannot. Pam has a firm grasp on the history of our nation that has led us to this point. There are political and economic forces that affect the availability of food in our neighborhoods. She touches on the impact of WWII, the Cold War, crop subsidies, and the free market.

Pam has solid ideas about where we are and what we need to do to remedy the situation. You will get the big picture of what has led our nation to this point---why real food is in short supply and how this negatively impacts our health.

Do you feel like you're often on the run? Does the idea of improving your diet (or your family's diet) overwhelm you? Susana Hill and Leslie Schall can help! They are young moms who have been on the same treadmill many of us are on and they've got simple ideas that can help us transition to the Wise Traditions (real food) diet.

They share a bit of their own story today, and how they themselves were able to transition to a healthier diet and lifestyle. They share ideas that will help us avoid guilt, help us take our time in making changes, and making sure the changes in our eating patterns stick. In fact, Susana and Leslie are so good at helping others in this area that they've established The Wellworks Project for companies and individuals to discover ways to eat better that, well, work!

Leslie and Susana are big fans of the Wise Traditions diet! But they readily admit how overwhelming it can all seem at first when you are transitioning from fast food to real food. If you want a solid place to start to make the switch, listen now and please share this episode so that others can do the same. You will all gain insight and encouragement that you can immediately apply to your own busy life.